President Rodrigo Duterte has signed into law postponing the village and youth elections from October 2017 to May next year.

Republic Act No. 10952 signed on October 2, 2017 provides that the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections shall be held on the second Monday of May 2018, with a term until June 2020.

The subsequent synchronized barangay and SK polls shall be held on second Monday of May 2020 and every three years thereafter, the Act said.

The incumbent officials will be in a "hold over" capacity with the deferment of the October 23, 2017 polls.

"Until their successors shall have been duly elected and qualified, all incumbent barangay officials shall remain in office unless sooner removed or suspended for cause," RA 10952 read.

It also said that the village officials who are ex officio members of the municipal, city or provincial councils as the case may be, shall continue to serve as such members in the council concerned until the next barangay election.

The term of office of the barangay and SK officials elected under the new law shall commence at noonof June 30 next following their elections, the Act said.

"Provided, however, that the term of the office of the barangay and sangguniang kabataan polls elected in the May 2020 elections and subsequent thereafter, shall commence at noon of June 30 next following their election," it added.

The Act said the over P6.09 billion supposedly to be used in the October elections shall be considered as continuing appropriations and shall be used exclusively for the conduct of the barangay and SK registration and elections in May 2018.

Until the new SK officials have been duly elected and qualified, the barangay council shall not use the SK fund except for youth development and empowerment programs as provided in RA 10742, otherwise known as the "Sanggunuang Kabataan Reform Act of 2015."

The Commission on Elections shall within 15 days after the effectivity of the Act, promulgate such rules and regulations necessary to implement the law.

The Act shall take effect immediately following the completion of its publication either in the Official Gazette or in two newspapers of general circulation in the Philippines. Celerina Monte/DMS